mudder eartha

About Me

I have been a studio potter since 1981. I like to work in high fired stoneware in the cone 10 range. I built my kiln from an Olson 36 updraft kit. It fires on propane, and has 10 venturi burners. This is my second gas firing kiln. I have been using this once since 1987.

I began working mainly with the potters wheel. But over the years, have drifted away from the wheel, and now enjoy handbuilding mainly with a slab roller. My favorite method of working is with stiffened slabs. I also incorporate the extruder as a tool. I usually create my own dies out of birch plywood.

I love the look of the clay without too much glaze covering it all up! I use a stoneware that looks like chocolate when it is fired. I embellish the clay with pigmented engobes, that I apply when the clay is still damp, with a sprayer and an airbrush. After the bisque firing, I dip the pieces into an iron oxide wash, which enhances the many textures I apply to the outside surfaces of my pieces. I then wipe off some of the iron wash with a sponge, to lighten up some of the areas.

I make some decorative functional pieces, but lately have been working on more sculptural pieces.